Plumbing fittings have been previously proposed in which a saddle provided at one end of the fitting is to be inserted through an aperture in a pipe and the fitting then positioned to bring the saddle into straddling relationship with the pipe interior on opposite sides of the aperture. The fitting is then secured to the pipe by passing a gasket containing collar over a threaded shank of the fitting from the end of the shank remote from the saddle, and by then threading a nut onto the shank from the end of the shank remote from the saddle to draw the saddle into positive seating engagement with the pipe interior, and to move the gasket containing collar into proper seating and sealing engagement with the pipe exterior.
Examples of such direct connectors are to be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 377,506, Whiter; 1,049,283, Westphal; 1,355,450, Carlson; 3,033,514, Grosch; 3,981,061, Jackson et al; and in British Pat. Nos. 101689 of 1916 and 336735 of 1930.
These prior patents disclose direct connect plumbing fittings having features in common, namely a threaded tubular shank having an elongate saddle at one end thereof, the saddle being of less width than the diameter of the aperture into which the fitting is to be inserted and being of greater length than the said diameter. The saddle and the shank are so configured as to permit insertion of one end of the saddle into the aperture in the pipe at an angle thereto. The fitting is then moved longitudinally of the pipe in the direction of the said one end of the saddle, and the shank is then moved angularly in order to move or rotate the opposite end of the saddle into the pipe interior. The fitting is then moved reversely longitudinally of the pipe to bring the said opposite end of the saddle into engagement with the pipe interior, a shoulder or stop conveniently being provided on the said one end of the saddle for engagement within the aperture in the pipe to locate the fitting in its desired orientation during and subsequent to the securing of the fitting to the pipe by the gasket containing collar and the threaded nut.
While these structures serve admirably in their intended function of securing a fitting in a blind hole in a pipe or other structure, they are limited in their capability to that of providing a threaded nipple extending laterally of the pipe. A separate and independent fitting must then be attached to the nipple in the conventional manner, usually by threading the said independent fitting onto the nipple.
In these prior constructions of direct connect fitting, the formation of the direct connect fitting integrally with some other fitting such as a faucet, stopcock, sprinkler head or the like, is precluded in that there is no way of passing the gasket containing collar and its associated retaining nut onto the threaded shank of the direct connect fitting. A direct connect fitting having a integral faucet has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 832,287, Beach. This prior patentee, however, did not foresee that the internally threaded gasket containing collar could not be assembled onto the threaded shank in the manner contemplated, owing to the presence of the saddle portion formed integrally with the threaded shank.